HERKIMER, N.Y. - Herkimer County Working Solutions held a job fair for former Remington Arms workers on Wednesday afternoon.
The job fair was held at Herkimer County Community College.
There was a second one planned for Thursday, but due to concerns over the coronavirus, it was canceled.
Nearly 600 Remington workers lost their jobs after the company filed for bankruptcy this fall.
Only about 100 workers attended the job fair on Wednesday due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Karin Piseck with Working Solutions says they are not only trying to find jobs for these former Remington workers, but they also want to help them understand the benefits they have under the Trade Act program.
“We’ve been working with folks from Remington since they got laid off. We know that these are incredibly hardworking, valuable employees," Piseck said. "My office has been delivering services to them to explain a lot of the benefits that are available to them but we were also getting many calls from local employers like you see behind me that were really in need of people and knew the reputation of the Remington workers and really wanted to be able to connect with them."
Piseck says she will be sending out a list of employers and positions available to the former Remington workers who were not able to make it to the job fair, as well as posting them to Facebook.
She says she also hosts information sessions every morning at 10 o'clock at working solutions by appointment only.
“Although this has been a lousy time for them, they are eligible for some really nice benefits, for schooling, retraining, so we’re helping to get them to understand the benefits and how to take best advantage of them," Piseck said. “For people over 50, through the benefits that these people are eligible for, the state will help them pay part of the difference in a new wage as opposed to their Remington wage. It’s a special benefit under the Trade Act program for people over 50, so someone takes a job making $13 and they were making $20, there’s a $7 difference there, the state will make up $3.50 per hour up to $10,000 so these are the kind of things we are trying to make sure that people are aware of.”
She says there are also schooling benefits.
“The schooling benefit under the Trade Act program is up to two years and $20,000, so it’s a really nice benefit in the midst of all the negative that’s happening to them right now," Piseck said.
Anyone with any questions can call the Herkimer County Working Solutions office at (315) 867-1400.
